By: Our Staff Reporter

The instability in next door Guinea is worrisome to Liberians, hundreds of whom feel that a small uncatered to crisis usually deteriorates into bigger ones, such as the war that destroyed the Liberian nation.  There have been repeated calls from the Liberian Government, especially President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf who chairs the sub-regional group called the Mano River Union (MRU).

The Mano River Union Youth Parliament says its attention has been drawn to the state of instability in Guinea where over one hundred people have been killed. The MRU Youth Parliament said the West African State needs what it calls urgent attention as more people are at risk. The group called for an immediate halt to the violence because citizens deserve nothing less than peace, stability, security and economic improvement. The MRU Youth Parliament maintained that instability in one West African State could easily spread to other countries if preventive measures are not put in place.

The group called on President Sirleaf to urgently spearhead a mediation effort to help restore calm.

Guinea is currently under international condemnation after security forces attacked demonstrators at a peaceful rally, reportedly killing nearly 160 people. The Guinean government continues to say most of the victims were crushed in the crowd. Reports put the death toll at 157, with more than 1,200 people injured. The Guinean Government puts the death toll at 57 and says  that Liberians were involved in the massacre.

Guinea was thrown into turmoil in December after the death of President Lansana Conte. He was one of only two presidents to rule Guinea, after it gained independence from France in 1958. Conte came to power in 1984, when the military seized control of the government after the death of the first president, Sekou Touré.

Following his death, Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara seized control in a bloodless military coup and declared himself president of the National Council for Democracy, which he called a transitional body that would oversee the country’s return to democracy.